This invention relates to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to improved seals for use in internal combustion engines.
Prior art of possible relevance includes British Pat. No, 1,329,371.
High operating temperatures are a principal cause of wear in sealing elements in internal combustion engines whether of the rotary or the reciprocating type. When engine components are subjected to high temperatures due to the hot gases of combustion, lubricating oil films tend to thin due to decreased viscosity. When such oil films thin, the rate of wear increases.
High temperatures at the interface between seals, pistons, or rotors, and combustion chamber walls are due to friction between the seal and the combustion chamber wall and exposure to the hot gases of combustion. Consequently, a thicker oil film may be maintained by eliminating or minimizing the effect of any of the foregoing factors. In particular, if the seal can be made to run at a cooler temperature, the application of heat to the oil film through contact with the seal will be decreased, thereby enabling the maintenance of a thicker oil film to decrease wear.